Southwest senior QB/DB is player of the year

By Chris Miller-Prep Sports Writer

Published: Saturday, December 22, 2012 at 11:10 AM.

“It’s an honor, that’s all I got to say,” Pershey said. “I wasn’t expecting it because I didn’t think I had the stats to be player of the year. I just thought I brought hard work, dedication and the will to get the job done.”

Pershey certainly did that and now will reap the rewards by receiving a title ring.

He and his teammates hope to get their rings in January, near the time Pershey is expected to return to Southwest after leaving for Oceanside, Calif., last week to join his family.

Pershey is no stranger to the West Coast, having moved there with his mother, Shona Mitchell, late last football season to join his Marine father, Staff Sgt. Corey Mitchell, who’d been stationed in California for two years.

Pershey hated to leave school and his teammates during the season, but family was more important. However, he returned home with his mother in January with all intentions of winning a state title at Southwest.

“The class of 2013, I’ve known a couple of the boys since elementary school and we had our sights set in our senior year of getting a ring,” Pershey said. “We were hungry.”

Last year Pershey primary played in the secondary and had 6 interceptions for the Stallions, who lost at Ayden-Grifton in the East Regional semifinals and finished 10-3. While away, Pershey kept in contact with his teammates while wishing he could be with them in the playoffs.

Southwest High School will always be home to Shak Pershey, despite having spent time away from The Corral.

Pershey loves Southwest and his friends at the school. He also enjoyed having played football for the Stallions, who won the NCHSAA 1-AA championship this season thanks in large part to his leadership and performance on both sides of the ball as a quarterback and safety.

And given he helped Southwest win its fourth state title, Pershey knows his senior season with the Stallions was special, although he said the Stallions’ 44-34 win over defending champion Swain County in the state final hasn’t fully set in.

“Not even,” he said. “Every day I think about it and the last 5 seconds ticking down, but it won’t set in until I see a ring on my finger.”

The 18-year-old Pershey has another thing to remember about the season as he is The Daily News player of the year for the 2012 football season.

He was selected for the award after throwing for 1,149 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushing for 929 yards and 18 more scores. On defense, he intercepted 5 passes and had 73 tackles. And just for good measure he returned two punt returns and one kickoff for touchdowns.

“It’s an honor, that’s all I got to say,” Pershey said. “I wasn’t expecting it because I didn’t think I had the stats to be player of the year. I just thought I brought hard work, dedication and the will to get the job done.”

Pershey certainly did that and now will reap the rewards by receiving a title ring.

He and his teammates hope to get their rings in January, near the time Pershey is expected to return to Southwest after leaving for Oceanside, Calif., last week to join his family.

Pershey is no stranger to the West Coast, having moved there with his mother, Shona Mitchell, late last football season to join his Marine father, Staff Sgt. Corey Mitchell, who’d been stationed in California for two years.

Pershey hated to leave school and his teammates during the season, but family was more important. However, he returned home with his mother in January with all intentions of winning a state title at Southwest.

“The class of 2013, I’ve known a couple of the boys since elementary school and we had our sights set in our senior year of getting a ring,” Pershey said. “We were hungry.”

Last year Pershey primary played in the secondary and had 6 interceptions for the Stallions, who lost at Ayden-Grifton in the East Regional semifinals and finished 10-3. While away, Pershey kept in contact with his teammates while wishing he could be with them in the playoffs.

“He tried to go with the flow of things, but he wasn’t really happy here (in California) and we had to figure out something that would work so that he would be able to keep his goals,” Shona Mitchell said. “He always said they (Pershey and his teammates) set a goal (of winning a title) and he felt he was walking out on his boys as he calls them.

“That was his driving force to be back with them. We came up with a compromise so that he would be able to go back.”

Pershey said that while he was in California last year he impressed the Oceanside High coaches with his athleticism. He was prepared to play for the Pirates — who this season went 12-1 and won a district title — but in his heart he wanted to come back to Southwest.

When Pershey returned home, he was determined to have a standout season, regardless of his position. This season Pershey not only needed to be a solid defender, but he also was asked to quarterback the Stallions.

And it was at quarterback where Pershey really helped, giving the Stallions another threat running the ball as well as throwing it.

“I felt very confident in him at quarterback, but I wasn’t sure about him throwing the ball. I knew it was going to take some work, but, with that being said, I think Shak improved throughout the season,” Southwest coach Phil Padgett said.

“He worked hard in the spring and summer for his senior year, and he did better than I thought he would. It turned out he was more of a quarterback (than a safety) and when we had to have some tough yards, we got them from him and he was able to throw some key passes.”

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Pershey was able to hold his own on running down opponents or running away from them, but he knew it was his right arm that needed to improve if he was to develop into a quarterback.

“At the beginning of the year I didn’t know how the proper way to pass the ball and I was like, ‘I just have to run the ball,’” Pershey said. “But I went to camp at Havelock in the summer and came out better.”

Pershey was also dangerous running the ball. He averaged 9 yards per carry and often found outside running space on bootleg runs.

Despite his talents, the Southwest coaches opted not to use Pershey’s legs as much in the regular season. Rather they waited until the playoffs to fully take advantage of their running quarterback.

“I didn’t want him to get banged up,” Padgett said. “But once the playoffs started, he was unstoppable running the football.”

Pershey didn’t mind not having his number called much in the regular season, saying it allowed his to read the game better.

“It helped me out extremely because I was looking back on my reads,” he said. “I knew when it was my time I knew what way I was going to go.”

Pershey certainly was asked to do a lot and he delivered in the Stallions’ 24-20 come-from-behind win over East Columbus on Sept. 17.

Southwest trailed by 10 points when Pershey scored two touchdowns in the final 3:24, including a game-winning 3-yard run with 22 seconds left. He also had a 69-yard punt return for a touchdown and ended the game with 80 yards rushing on 13 carries.

“I just had to carry the load,” Pershey said. “I wasn’t going to let my team down.”

And Pershey never did during the season while never lost sight of wanting to win a championship.

“We raised him to reach for his goals and that if you are going to start something, you need to finish it and don’t waste anybody’s time,” Mitchell said. “He is a hard worker. I’m not a football person, but I have always been mesmerized when he plays and I get excited watching him. Shak is a good player.”